John Swinney asked if Sine Halfpenny, bottom left, could be allowed to come to Scotland to teach Gaelic at Bunessan Primary but English Tory Caroline Nokes, top left, refused to consider the request (Image: PA/Reuters)

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But when he was fobbed off, Swinney tried to raise the matter at ministerial level, writing to Home Secretary Amber Rudd on headed Scottish Parliament stationery clearly setting out his Government positions.

And he was left furious by the curt and ill-informed reply from Tory immigration minister Nokes which was sent on behalf of Rudd.

The letter he received appears to be based on a template and mistakenly suggests Sine is a constituent – even though she still lives in Canada.

Nokes writes that she gets too many requests to deal with them all.

And she told Swinney: “I will not reply in my capacity as immigration minister to any immigration matters about individuals you might raise”.

Sine Halfpenny was the only person to apply for the vacant job of Gaelic teacher at Bunessan Primary School on the Isle of Mull (Image: Internet Unknown)

A spokesman for Swinney said yesterday: “This ill-informed letter shows how little the Home Office cares about the school pupils of Mull.

“It looks like they haven’t bothered to even consider this teacher’s case – let alone the needs of the pupils of Mull. She is the only candidate for the job, the council think she is perfect and the pupils are crying out for a permanent teacher.

“This is a no-brainer yet the Home Office cannot even be bothered to read a simple letter.

“We want to attract people to Scotland who can contribute to our country.

Bunessan Primary School is still missing a teacher (Image: Internet Unknown)